You'll Find One
by Searching4sanity
Summary: G's past a mystery. Duh. But what if someone from his childhood comes back into his life? A foster father perhaps? Rated T for child abuse, language, and violence. Could be M, but more like 11 . Standard disclaimer,I only own my OC. Review! Happy Holidays
1. Chapter 1 Bad News For G

AU: Yes, I shouldn't be posting anything else. I know. But those plot bunnies have been killing me to write this! Anyways, slight spoilers for season 2, not really though. No Dom, yes Deeks. I cried when Dom died and I miss him, but honestly I think Deeks has a much more interesting character.

Please review! I absolutely love it when people do and if I get five reviews I'll update Wed. and if I get more, I'll try hard for Tuesday!

Merry Christmas to all!

Chapter 1 Trouble

" Mr. Callen. Mr. Hanna." Hetty's sharp voice cut through the bull pen as the partners walked into OSP Headquarters, late for the third time that week.

" Hetty." Sam acknowledged the smaller women's presence. G hadn't even turned, his head in the clouds. Strange...

" Mr. Callen." Hetty repeated and Sam nudged him in the ribs. Callen jumped and glared at Sam who diverted his gaze to Hetty.

" Sorry Hetty." G apologized. Hetty sighed, but more out of concern for his well being than annoyance.

" Yes, Mr. Callen, as I was saying," she considered giving them the reprimand she had prepared for their lateness, but decided against it as she saw G's head slide away again. " we have a case. The others are waiting for you." she nodded upstairs and the two men dropped their bags and headed for the stairs.

Hetty frowned. Something was wrong. Years of experience told her not to disregard her feeling, but to hold it close to her busy mind.

Sam eyed his partner warily. G had been acting oddly all week, late and quiet. Even for him that was odd. He had even refused to come to dinner at his house last night, something Sam knew the guy enjoyed. Sam's wife was a great cook.

They entered Eagle's Nest, ignoring Deeks' smirk and Nate's questioning look. Sam smiled hello to Kensi before taking a spot behind the counter. G wandered aimlessly to his usual place, his head obviously somewhere else.

" Okay, so this was taken at oh five hundred this morning by a street camera." the blond tech announced, pulling up a dark screen of an alleyway.

There wasn't much to see, no cars, a dimly lit street was the only source of light, casting a bare glow over the randomly placed alley.

One figure, a shadow really, stood, and looked pissed. A man from his plump figure and meaty hands that made rude gestures toward the brick wall.

Suddenly he raised his hand and brought it crashing down. The bare sound of a scream came through the audio system.

" Eric, can you enhance sound?" Sam demanded, and the tech immediately worked on it.

Suddenly the video came to life. A soft pattering of a bird resting for the night, the low, distant growl of a car, and the barest sound of someone cursing and yelling.

" Bitch, get up! Be useful for once!" the man roared. A few more moments of cursing and screaming passed when suddenly there was a loud gun shot, a shout, another gun shot, some more yelling, and a final gun shot.

Two figures appeared from the alley. One was obviously the man, fat, bald, and a mean, drunk look to his face.

The other was much shorter, with their long hair loose on their shoulders. Even from a distance they looked terrified.

The man grabbed the smaller figure, and spun them around. A fist came from nowhere and slammed itself into her stomach. A second punch. A third. A fourth. A fifth. The punching repeated.

Finally they twisted and planted a foot into his shin. The man tried to grab them again, but they were already gone. Sprinting down the street.

The video ended.

Eric's usually happy face had gone solemn.

" The locals found a body in that alley a few hours later. A Marine by the name of Paul Hinderlan." Eric pulled up the photo of a man about thirty eight, with rough buzzed light brown hair, and soft green eyes that looked proud to be in this photo.

Sam glanced at G and was shocked at what he saw.

Pale with sweat forming at the edge of his face. His hands trembled a little, and Sam's partner had to grip the table to keep from showing the reaction.

Sam's eye narrowed. This was bad. Nothing got this sort of reaction from G. Nothing.

" They find anything else?" Sam asked, still looking worriedly at his partner. Eric shook his head, then paused.

" Well yeah, but it could be nothing." At the agent's looks he pulled up a photo.

It was a necklace, crude in the making, but held a sort of dignity to it. Hung on the strip of worn twine was a rough piece of wood. Etched inside was a basic star, shaky but definitely a star.

" They think it was just something from the alley except for the blood." The screen zoomed in on the dark splotches covering the star.

" They identify the man?" Kensi asked. Eric shook his head no,

" But I can try pulling something from the video." he offered.

" Do it." The tech whipped back to his computers and silence fell over the team as they did what they always did, waited.

" Umm okay. This is the best I could do, but hopefully we can run it and-" Callen cut Eric off as the fuzzy picture of a Caucasian man, bald and fat came up.

" Don't bother Eric. His name's Terrance Erlof." Everyone stared at G, who had seemed to gotten a better hold of himself, the sweat was gone and his hand had stopped shaking, but he still looked unusually pale.

" How do you know him?" Deeks asked " You play his wife too?" Callen didn't smile at the joke and Kensi elbowed her partner in the ribs.

" He was my foster father for a month and a half."

Crap.


	2. Chapter 2 Social Workers

AN:/ Hey people! I think this is my quickest update yet! Thanks to my reviewers who made it possible that this got up! Hope you guys like this chapter to!

So if I get 5 reviews I'll post another chapter by Saturday or on Saturday. Kind of depends on how my week goes. If not, I got plenty of other stories to update first!

Thanks again for reading!

Searching

Chapter 2 Social Workers… You Gotta Hate 'Em

_" He was my foster father for a month and a half."_

_Crap._

" Crap." Deeks voiced Sam's first thought in a low whisper. Glares were thrown that way. Callen cleared throat quickly before continuing.

" I thought he'd be dead by now. He wasn't that young when we first met." he sighed, staring at the Marine's face. " Paul was in the same house." he added. Sam immediately wanted to help his friend, now understanding the reaction. But he knew G wouldn't allow it. Too many years of being on his own.

" I'm sorry." Kensi murmured. The others nodded agreement, Callen brushed it off as easily as a piece of lint.

" He stayed with us for three weeks, left the same time I did. I had no idea he stayed in Los Angeles." G's blue eyes seemed to glaze over again as he realized an old brother had been so close.

Now dead.

" He have any family?" G asked quietly, keeping his head down. Eric retrieved the info, but less enthusiastic now, like he was afraid what he might find.

" No." The answer seemed to bring more pain to Callen. A loner.

Like him.

" Alright, let's go to the crime scene. Eric see if you can find out who that kid is, we need to find them and _now_." Callen recovered and headed for the door.

The team minus one shared looks. Eric looked lost, unsure of what to do. Deeks looked similar; while he and Callen were on good terms they weren't exactly best buddies. Kensi looked sad for her friend, her older brother. Nate looked worried, probably doing some psyche stuff on Sam's partner. Sam himself was resolute that this was going to be painful for his best friend and partner, but that he was going to make it out alright. Sam would make sure of it.

The drive to the scene was silent in Sam's car. G stared straight ahead, unmoving, lost in his own thoughts. Sam could only guess at what. G was his partner and closest friend, but that didn't mean Sam knew what he was thinking. G was too complicated for that. Actually he was so simple it made people's heads spin. People said he didn't have a personality, but really he just had one no one had ever encountered before. One that was like rubber, it stretched, changed, and bent every way but it always swung back into it's original form.

" Were there any other kids at the house?" Sam finally asked. G gave him a confused look. " If this has to do with his old foster kids, then we will have to alert them." he clarified quickly. G shook his head,

" I don't know how many kids went through that house." he answered vaguely.

" That's not an answer G." Sam argued. G didn't even look at him.

" One other kid was there, but I don't remember his name. He wasn't around enough for me to take notice." he shrugged, and Sam felt the familiar jolt of annoyance when he wasn't sure if G was lying to him. Callen's ability to show no expression made him one of the best agents in their business, but it made being friends with him a pain in the ass.

The alley was gross, in short. Cigarettes, beer cans gone moldy, flies buzzing over dead rice. Not a place you'd expect to find an ex foster father. Or any living thing for that matter.

Kensi and Deeks had gotten there first, though Deeks did look a little green. The body was gone, but the orange tape still outlined the Marine's last pose. Slumped against a brick wall. Blood dripped down the wall, and all along the ground. Three shell casings lay forgotten on the cracked cement. Brass, still shining in the LA sun.

Three shots. One body.

" Hey! Guys, come here!" Deeks called, waving them over. Sam and G came quickly. Kensi was peering at blood spatter, about five feet from where the body had been found, a line of blood dotting the cigarettes, cans, and forgotten bags. At the beginning lay a huge pool of blood. No one could survive that much blood loss. It reminded Sam of May 5th.

" Some one else was shot here." Sam announced. But then, where was the body?

Kensi pointed at some smears, hidden under garbage. The team followed them through the narrow alley and up until the road, where the trail ended.

" The body was dragged from here to the road, and dumped in a car?" Deeks suggested.

" Maybe. Or the tracks were cleaned up and whoever moved it didn't have time to get the rest." Sam pointed out.

" Why would someone remove the tracks?" Kensi asked.

" Killer trying to cover his ass." Deeks answered.

" Erlof?" Sam hated saying it, but had to. Paul deserved it.

" No. He's not smart enough to do this." Callen spoke for the first time since he and Sam had arrived. Everyone looked at the lead agent for a second until his blue glare forced them back down.

" Okay, the kid?" Deeks offered. No one liked the idea but it was a possibility they had to consider, even G.

" First, let's find their name." Sam closed the matter before things got too ugly. Callen had begun clenching and unclenching his hands from the trembling again.

Speaking of which, his cell phone went off just as they began wandering back to the scene.

" What happened Eric?" Callen demanded, putting it on speaker so everyone could hear.

" Well since you said that Terrence guy was a foster father, I decided to start with that database and work my way up."

" What's their name?" Kensi asked.

" Wait, I'm not done. So that brought up nothing so I checked-" the tech rambled on.

" Eric, name." G ordered, his patience already nonexistent was even shorter for the blond's antics.

" Oh, sorry. Name is Cassie Andrews. She's twelve, in the system, and might beat your record Callen, she's been to twenty-three homes since she was first put in at age three. She's been arrested twice, trespassing once when she was ten and once for assault about two months ago. No family, and has been with Erlof for about six weeks with two boys. Social workers have suspected abuse in the past which she refuses to talk about." Eric finished sadly. G nodded, his brain already running the information against their possibilities.

" Thanks Eric." he hung up, ignoring the glances he got from the other agents.

" So how do we find Cassie Andrews?" Deeks demanded, trying hard not to look at Callen any longer than the others.

It didn't matter anymore, G knew that the only reason they kept looking at him was because they cared but it still bugged him. He had been to enough of the homes that all they did was look at him with pity and try and coddle him, then drew back, stung, when he refused. It was his biggest fear. Of lashing out too hard one day to his team, and never getting them back. He had nightmares about it too. He always wondered if he had been a little nicer, a little less smart, a little less scared if one of those places would've become his. The Rostov's had been so close, he had no idea why he had left them but he knew someday he's find out. Along with who left that note at the cemetery and what that G stood for.

" She'll go somewhere she knows no one can find her. Someplace she's been going to for awhile. Call Eric and see if he can find a place within ten miles of her homes, an abandoned building, a park, a teen center, anywhere that no one will notice her." G told Kensi who immediately dialed the number, Deeks didn't comment for once but Sam did.

" You speaking from experience or Nate?" he asked. G glared at him for a moment. He wondered if Sam had caught their meeting place in his list. Probably. He used to always run to parks when he needed to... crap.

" Come on. Kensi call if you get anything." Callen ran for the car, Sam followed quickly.

" You got an idea?" he asked.

" A hunch." G corrected. One he was basing on a six week stay with Erlof and one of his more common nightmares from when he was eleven.

The pulled up in front of the park, Jay Park. An old, rusting play place for the neighborhood gangs. G got out of the car and a hurricane of memories swamped his blue eyes.

The swings he had sat on, and occasionally used when he was bored, the table he ate the meager amounts of food he had found or stolen, the bushes he had hid under, the gang bangers slouching against the sand box, chewing on something illegal, they used to glare at him and call him names. Now they ran. He saw the tunnel he had slept in at least three times a week, he knew if he crawled inside he'd find the scratches he had made with a sharpened rock. He used to stare at them for hours, wondering if anyone would find them and track him down. He marked his name someplace no one would find in every home he went, just in case some one was looking for him. His parents or maybe in the beginning before he forgot, his sister Amy. He may have forgotten the why but he did it. The habit had been hard to break when he first became an agent, but eventually the need to make sure his name was somewhere in the room before he left had passed, but sometimes when he was doing paperwork he felt the urge to scratch his name somewhere in the OSP building, maybe under the couch or at his desk. It was his most permanent home and when he left he wanted to be tied to it somehow, even if it was just chicken scratches made by an Army knife.

Sam looked questioningly at his partner as they stood at the edge of the thirty year old wood chips surveying the scene.

" The tunnel." G indicated the orange cylinder connecting the monkey bars to the fire pole. Wordlessly, Sam went left towards the fire pole and G went right towards the bars. He couldn't help but check to see if the shard of metal he had split his hand open on was still there.

Yes and he was sure the blood had never washed off either.

He blinked, for a second he cold have sworn he had seen the ghost of a small eleven year old with blond hair and blue eyes. Sitting on the ground, gripping a bloody hand tightly. Another boy, one with long, shaggy brown hair and green eyes came up beside him. The faint whisper of,

" What did ya do now G-Force?" flowed across the wind.

He shook his head, no point remembering the good times if you're still fighting the bad.

G held up a hand to indicate for Sam to stop, but continued towards the tunnel and stopping three feet from the entrance.

" Cassie Andrews." he asked the pair of red, worn Converse sneakers that poked out the end. The ripped jeans revealed skinny, tanned ankles, one with a large cut running down the middle.

" Go away." came the smart reply. " I'm not interested."

" Not even in Terrence Erlof?" Callen asked, not missing the pause in her breathing, the shake of her hands she couldn't control, as he said the haunting name.

" Nope." she lied like him, emotionless and unquestionable.

" You still need to come with us." This seemed to catch her attention, he could see her alarms going off.

" Who are you? Social workers come to take me to a 'better place'? Cause I got several things to say to that." she smirked, still not getting out. G knew it was the broken ribs she was trying to pass off as laziness and confidence.

" No, NCIS." The two words forced Cassie to grab the other end of the tunnel and pull herself out. For the first time G got a decent look at her.

She was thin. Stick skinny. He could see the cracked ribs through her light green t-shirt, the dried blood staining the cloth. There were no muscles on her arms. She was small for her age, short but there was a certain fire in her grey eyes that assured you that she could look after herself. Her white blond hair was dirty, and grime smudged all her features.

Cassie stepped back, wary of the stranger in front of her. Sam startled her by stepping forward from behind.

" Who are you?" she growled, the confidence dying under her fear and the pain in her ribs.

" NCIS. We need to talk." G repeated. She kept an eye on each agent while speaking,

" 'Bout what?"

" Last night." Sam answered. She jumped again, her eyes racing for exists.

" Nothing happened last night. I ate dinner and went to sleep. Unless you'd like to discuss my math homework I have nothing to say." she argued.

" We're not going to hurt you." Sam assured her.

" Yeah, after awhile that gets real old." Cassie smirked. G knew the feeling. Every home someone said that for the social worker, but as soon as that door closed, you were trapped in the lion's den.

Before G or Sam could reply, a car screeched to a stop just behind theirs. The agents snapped out their guns, but G holstered his the second the driver door opened.

" Cassandra Andrews!" the social worker screeched like her Sedan, storming over to the park, her red face contrasting to her prim, light brown bun. Her cheap heels made her wobble on the wood chips, her heavy makeup making her nose look even bigger than it already was. G knew her type. Over fascinated with hot men and her hair, and even more so with getting rid of their jobs as fast as possible.

Cassie automatically flinched at the sharp voice, but straightened up almost immediately afterwards, as if trying to hide her weakness.

Sam put his weapon away after a nod from G.

" Who are you?" the women demanded.

" NCIS ma'am." Sam showed her his badge. " Agents Hanna and Callen."

She sniffed with disdain.

" And what is NCIS doing talking to a minor, without a parental figure nearby?" she growled, stepping up beside Cassie, almost protectively. But G could see her finger nails digging painfully into Cassie's shoulder.

" We were under the impression that she was in danger." Sam explained politely. G glared. He hated social workers. Too ignorant to see what was in front of them.

" Danger? The only danger Cassandra Andrews is in is murdering her father with worry." she laughed coldly. " Speaking of which, why don't you jump in the car sweetie? Terrence is worried sick abut you and the boy. Where is he by the way? Only Bobby came home last night. He was scared silly, did you take him some place?" she demanded quickly.

Cassie didn't stop to think, she gave the perfect lie any social worker would suck up with ease.

" Yeah, guess I forgot to tell Erlof. Mac, Bobby and me went to a friend's house. Got invited to a scare party, complete with zombies and clowns. Guess Bobby isn't as hard core as we all thought. Sweet underside, ya know?" she shrugged. G nearly smirked, telling a social worker a kid had a soft side was a sure getaway, plus it made the worker disappear for a few months. Sometimes a good thing, sometimes a bad thing, depending on where you were.

The social worker smiled gently, " Alright honey, Erlof will be delighted. Just jump in the car and we'll head right over. Have you seen Max?" she added.

Anybody else would have missed it. Grouped into a twelve year olds' normal working cycle. But G's blue ones spotted the slight twitch in her hand and the muscle jump in her neck as she replied with ease,

" Nope, he was heading to the library last I saw him. Wanted to get a movie or somethin'." she disappeared towards the leather seated car, the grungy clothes looking out of place next to the fine luxury of a nice car.

G and Sam faced the worker who was fuming at them.

" If I ever find you two talking to any minor ever again, I will have your badge!" she smarted, her eyes flashing with malice.

G felt the old flare of anger at the idiots who were supposed to help kids like him awaken with new vengeance. Maybe because now he could do something about them, or because now he wasn't a scrawny kid with huge clothes and no muscles to speak of. Today, he was a federal agent, maybe not Sam sized but he could definitely take down an attacker when needed, with a hell of a lot more power than this women.

" And if I just so happen to tell Social Services that you haven't seen these three kids in what? A month? Month and a half? You'll be out of work with an ugly resume." he threatened coldly, ignoring Sam's eye raise. But he did wink at Cassie who was staring at them, a slow grin spreading across her face as she realized what had just happened.

" In the car now." The social worker barked without looking back. Cassie climbed in, as slow as possible to catch more of the argument. The worker waited until the door slammed shut to speak.

" What do you want?" she demanded slowly, her cold brown eyes screwing up to form tiny black slits outlined with too much mascara.

" Cassie Andrews in our custody, and Terrence Erlof." G replied coolly, ending the request with a shrug. " Unless you feel like giving up your nice car for something less... fuel efficient." The worker took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

" Fine but I want a lawyer present at all times." the worker agreed and headed for the car. Sam and G waited for her to bring back the girl, Sam shooting exasperated glances at his partner, Callen trying to figure out what he had just done. He had gotten their suspect, that's what and a witness. That's it. Baiting the worker had nothing to do with his past, even if it had felt really good.

The worker came back... without Cassie.

" Where is she?" Sam growled, but one look at the worker's shocked and worried face told G everything.

" Not here." he shook his head smiling slightly. " I want that location within an hour." he added, heading for their car, still smiling.

Ten minutes of silence until Sam stared at G who was watching the window expressionless, like he had every day since they first met. But now there more of a sad side to it.

" What the hell just happened?"

" Our witness just ran away." Sam snorted.

" I got that part. I was talking about the bit where you threatened a social worker? And this entire week whee you been acting like you might die any day now? Come on G, don't hold out on me man." Sam retorted, calming down at the end. His best friend was messed up in some ways yeah, but when it got so bad he let other people see it, that's when Sam stuck his head in.

G considered telling him what had been on his mind all week, people always said talking made you feel better.

People, not him.

" I don't know what you're talking about."

" Sure you don't G. Sure you don't."


	3. Chapter 3 Shut Up Deeks

AN:/ I was blown away by how many reviews, alerts, and amazing feed back that last chapter got! Thank you so much!

This chapter will be a let down compared to the last one, really sorry for that, but the next one will be longer and more interesting, hopefully.

Oh and just so you know, this will not be a G/Kensi fic, sorry for all of you who support that ship, but I usually only write about Tony/Ziva for NCIS and B/B for Bones, just because I'm not sure about G/Kensi, no offense to those who do.

Thanks again! You people are awesome!

Still looking….

Chapter 3 Shut Up Deeks

Kensi's POV

" So what do you think?" Kensi's partner asked from the passenger side.

" That your head is going somewhere it shouldn't." she replied, turning into the OSP office parking alley.

" It's not! Callen's mysterious hunch, what do you think it was?" Kensi glared at the blond, rugged agent who had joined their tight group.

" If I knew, it wouldn't be very mysterious would it?" she asked, getting out of the car.

" Oh come on! That's not an answer!" Deeks argued, getting out as well.

" No, telling you to shut up wouldn't be an answer. That was a deflection." she corrected, grabbing the door handle to the 'abandoned' building.

" Fine, without a deflection, what do you think his hunch was?" he asked.

Kensi ripped open the door, replying easily due to much practice.

" Shut up Deeks."

The door slammed shut behind her. Marty ran to chase after his partner, but found it locked. Dammit.

" Kensi! Kensi! Come on! It's just a hunch!" he banged a fist on the doors. " KENSI!"

" Where's Mr. Deeks?" Hetty's smooth voice came from behind the Junior agent's desk.

She shrugged, " I think he had a phone call." Hetty raised an eyebrow.

" So that incessant banging outside is not him?" she asked.

" No, maybe it's Eric." she replied, Hetty moved to the front of her desk.

" What is it Ms. Blye?" she demanded, gently though, because while this case affect Mr. Callen the most, whenever one of their own was involved, it pained them all. Kensi sighed, and looked up at her boss, her exhaustion from today already showing in her brown eyes.

" Callen. This case, it's going to hurt him." she let out what had been bugging her since the lead agent announced he knew Erlof. He kept his past a secret, but every time it came up she could see how much it hurt.

" Yes... should I pull him off it?" Hetty replied slowly, eyeing Kensi with curiosity.

" No." she replied sternly, Callen was one of the best agents, and he wouldn't stay off this even Hetty told him to. Exhibit A: Amy's case. " But is there anything I, we, can do to help him?" she asked. Hetty might be very mysterious herself, but she seemed to know everyone best. Knew the way their heads worked and what would affect them, and what wouldn't.

Hetty considered the question a moment before replying with one of her own.

" Why are you, and not Mr. Hanna, asking me this? I understand you're friends with Mr. Callen, but wouldn't Sam want to ask this as well?" Kensi frowned, remembering her whispered argument with Sam earlier when Callen wasn't around.

" Because Sam thinks G will deal like he always does, ignore it and move on. Plus he's not here." she answered, an underlying tone of cold told Hetty that she and Hanna had had a heated argument about this earlier.

" Well then, I suppose the only thing you can do for Mr. Callen my dear, is wait for him to come to you. But then again, as Mr. Hanna thinks, he may never come. He's a strange man, and there is not telling what he will do. Right this moment, all you can do is work this case like you have been. Carefully but at your best." Hetty gave her advice and turned back to her office, pausing only to add, " And that does not include locking your partner out in the cold!"

Kensi didn't even bother telling Hetty it was seventy and sunny outside, she went to go unlock the doors.

Deeks was still grumbling when Eric appeared at the balcony thirty minutes later of searing through Paul's phone records, bank statements, and file.

" Hey! Callen and Sam called, said Cassie Andrews is on the run!" he announced. Kensi sighed, on the run meant still scared.

" What did they do, pull their guns out and try arresting her?" Deeks demanded. Eric didn't smile.

" Social worker showed up." he explained. " But,"

" No need to announce parts of our anatomy Eric." Deeks added, Kensi shot him a 'Shut up' look.

" I found her." the tech finished proudly. " I cross referenced all-" Kensi interrupted this time.

" Street name and number Eric." she grabbed her weapon, Already heading for the car.

" Umm... 43 Beach Plane Avenue. Wait," he pressed the Bluetooth deeper into his ear, listening. " Hurry up guys, LAPD just announced reports of gunfire. ETA three minutes."


	4. Chapter 4 Don't Know Any Jason

AN:/ I'm not even going to bother saying sorry, I am horrible at updating, I know. Also playing Solitaire but that's a whole other matter that I don't need to get into until next Tuesday.

So, I'm not requiring a certain number of reviews before I post, since I took so long on this one. But please people, write a two sentence thing. It'll take you a minute, tops. I have 23 alerts on this story-you guys are awesome!- and I've gotten 16 reviews total on this story. That is sad. Very sad. Plus, chances are if you review my story I'll go see if I want to read one of your stories and review it!

Thanks to all who have faved, reviewed, alerted, glanced at, put a pineapple on, or read this!

Searching

Chapter 4

" Sam." The ex-Seal answered his phone. Callen vaguely listened as what he thought was Eric babbling into the phone. Suddenly the car lurched forward and G grabbed the handle overhead.

" What happened?" he demanded.

" Reports of gunfire at 43 Beach Plane Avenue." Sam explained, executing a 180 degree turn. 43 Beach Plane Avenue… Jay Park.

" She went back?" G exclaimed, thinking of his childhood. In that situation going back… was actually pretty smart. No one would think of double checking a place they'd just been. But who'd be shooting at her? The gang? Maybe, or maybe Erlof was the same monster he was thirty years ago.

The agents sprung from the car silently after parking abruptly, and began sprinting silently across the wood chips. Shouting came from the other side, near the sand box.

He went left and Sam went right, guns drawn, eyes searching. The steady flow of memories distracted his usually focused mind, watching himself eat half a sandwich, across from Jason who was eating the other, smaller, half. Chasing Jason around on one of those days where you can't help but run until you flopped in the grass, exhausted. Hiding in the tunnel while Erlof and Jason argued, he could barely keep his eyes from traveling out the field, searching for the marker…

" G!" Sam hissed from across the park, seeing his glazed eyes. Callen shook his head, and looked at his partner . Sam gave him an 'Are you crazy?" stare and he shrugged back in apology.

Sam jerked his head towards the sand box, a circle of tattooed, dark clothed, cigarette smelling men surrounded the beat up pile of dirt. In the middle G caught a glimpse of light green, and a flash of white blond hair. Cassie.

" Ya wanna be shot bitch? Or ya just too stupid to stay 'way?" one growled.

" Ya gonna shut up moron and shoot me? Or do ya not have the guts?" she taunted. One of them loaded their weapon threateningly.

" Wait." Another commanded abruptly, G narrowed his eyes. What now? He and Sam were slowly beginning to creep along, not wanting to make a scene because while they probably had the better aim, the gang had a lot more firepower, which sometimes proved to be more helpful.

There a harsh smack, and a thud as Cassie was thrown down onto her knees. G winced, knowing that by now she was probably used to it.

" Now shoot her." the man ordered, and G could see the sick grin spreading across his face as he looked down on the kneeling girl.

" Oh, so you don't have the stomach? Just your buddy eh? Make him shoot me, so you don't get any blood on your precious crack covered fingers, right?" She was buying time, G realized. For what though? A chance to escape? Or did she know they were here?

" You got some issues bitch." The man growled, ripping the gun from the other man's hands. " And you gonna pay for them. With your life. See how smart you are with a hole in your head." He laughed.

Bang!

G stepped out from the slide he had taken cover behind, his gun aimed at the spot where the man's hand had been a second before. He shot two more in succession, letting instincts take over.

Sam took down two more. Before either agent could take another shot, the other three bolted.

Still kneeling in the sandbox, was Cassie, looking scared, with blood running down the side of her face. One look at the guns, and she was up on her feet and sprinting the other way.

" Why do they always run?" Sam grumbled, giving chase.

" Maybe they don't want to get caught." Callen muttered back, but his friend was already gone.

She was fast, Sam thought. And possessed a surprising amount of endurance for someone who looked like they hadn't eaten properly in weeks.

He chased her across the park, and was currently sprinting across a run down baseball diamond toward the street. G was somewhere behind him, probably dying of exertion already.

Sam had to catch her before they got to the street, because once they reached out into the open she could switch directions any second on him and disappear down a street corner. Then again he had the advantage of strength. Once he caught up, there was no way she could escape.

Unfortunately, that would mean she didn't have a head start and a better knowledge of the area, so she didn't had to concentrate on not tripping over a sudden bump in the ground, or one of the thousands of rocks that littered the ground. Sam had nearly fallen when his foot collided into a hidden piece of smoothed out stone, that had been oddly placed, in the middle of a field where no trees stood, ad surrounded by other rocks.

Sam swore as he spotted the girl approaching the sidewalk. No way he could catch up, he put on an extra burst of speed in a desperate thought that by turning she would lose time, or fall.

Instead there was a squeal of tires as a black Challenger skidded to a stop in front of her.

His black Challenger.

Sam turned around. No G.

Callen rammed the car to a stop, forcing Cassie to nearly hit it in her sudden stop. He got out of the car quickly, and blocked her path.

Her grey eyes were wide with fear as she nearly ran into him in her frantic need to escape, blood still running down her face. She spun away from him, planning to go the other way, but Sam caught up, panting.

" You cheated." He gasped. G shrugged.

" No I stole the car keys from you." He corrected. Sam muttered something, probably a curse under his breath.

" Who the hell are you?" Cassie demanded, still looking for an escape route.

" Told you this morning, we're NCIS." G replied calmly.

" And I told you, nothing happened." She snapped back.

" Yes but then you told your social worker that three of you went to a party, and only one of you came back. So, we'd like to know what happened. Did you do nothing or go to a party?" Sam explained, his earlier exhaustion gone.

" I don't have to talk to you!" she headed back towards the park but G stepped in her way.

" Either you talk or we call your social worker." He warned her coldly. She stopped, and turned back to them.

" Fine. What did you want to know?" she caved.

" Not here. We know a place." G gestured to the car. She shook her head instantaneously,

" Uh-uh. I'm not going anywhere." She argued, the stubbornness clear in her vocie. G understood her fear, but they had to bring to her to boathouse. Not only because it'd be easier to get the answers they needed, but knowing Erlof, if she went home or Erlof found her like he did Jason and him before, she'd be in danger.

" We're federal agents Cassie, what's the worst that can happen? If what you say is true, we find out what we want, we'll apologize, and you get yelled at, and maybe moved. That sounds better than sitting in a tunnel all day." G showed her his badge as prrof. She squinted at it for a second before looking up at him in shock,

" Callen? As in tunnel-man, G Callen? Is he Jason?" she asked, pointing at Sam. Callen's partner immediately looked confused and G inwardly cursed.

" Yeah, that's me." He agreed. " But he's not Jason. He's my partner, Agent Hanna." He added, leaving out where Jason was. She shrugged.

" You people are weird." She commented before getting into the backseat of the Challenger without further arguement.

" You have no idea." Sam muttered, still looking at G for an explanation.

" Used to go to that park." He explained vaguely, moving for the passenger seat. Sam stopped him, asking seriously,

" And Jason?" G considered telling him the truth, telling him what had happened while he was at Erlof's, what had been bugging him all week.

" Don't know any Jason." He lied, getting in.


	5. Chapter 5 Right Here, Erlof

AN: Yes, I haven't updated in months, sorry. But hey, I have the next chapter written. So this chapter is way OOC (I think), I hope I'm jut being overcritical but let me know if I'm not. _**READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING**_: This chapter contains a lot of mature content. Mostly language, descriptive memories of abuse, so don't say I didn't warn you. Okay, you can continue reading now. Enjoy!

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Thanks snowprincess77,cdewinter78, Hope and love, The Prickly Pear-who nicely pointed out to me that broken ribs hurt a lot more than they do in my story, so I apologize for that to everyone, my medical knowledge extends to Strawberry Shortcake band aides- DefyTheUnknown, Cripple X, LostForeverInHisEyes for reviewing the last chapter! You guys and everybody else who reviewed are AWESOME!

Chapter 5 Right Here, Erlof

Boathouse

" LAPD is writing the shoot out as a gang war." Deeks announced, walking in from cleaning up the crime scene with Kensi.

" Since we needed another one of those." G muttered bitterly.

" Thanks guys." Sam added more amiable. Kensi followed in quickly, took one look at G's dark face and turned to Sam.

" Cassie's social worker is trying to charge you with kidnapping." She reported, G smirked. They save her charge from being killed and she tries to get them arrested. " Hetty's making a phone call. But there's a lawyer coming, so we can't interrogate her until then." The female added. This time Sam smirked.

" So, who wants to go politely ask her some questions?" he asked. Deeks opened his mouth to offer, or his ego did anyways. But G beat him to it.

" I'll do it." He strode quickly for the door, and his partner and Kensi exchanged looks while Deeks looked dumbfounded.

" Sam is a father-" he didn't finish his sentence before Sam elbowed him painfully in the ribs.

" Cassie Andrews." G stated, pretending to look at her file. Not that it mattered, files said a lot. Most of which was some psychologist making stupid observations.

" G Callen." He sat down opposite her, still pretending to read the file. " Don't I get a lawyer or something?" she asked.

" Do you want one?" He replied calmly, already knowing the answer.

" No." she replied truthfully and leaned back slowly in her chair, staring at a spot about three feet above Callen's head.

" So, you said you went to a party last night." She nodded.

" You have two foster brothers." G pointed out, she shrugged.

" Had a lot of foster brothers." was the cold reply.

" Bobby and Mac, right? Mac is thirteen and Bobby is eleven?" he asked. She nodded.

" You're in the care of Terrence Erlof." He announced without emotion, even if he was remembering those six weeks. Again she nodded. G sat, looking strangely thoughtful.

" I don't believe that." He announced simply. Cassie looked stunned.

" What?" she demanded. " I'd suggest reading that file again. I'm in Erlof's home, have been for roughly six weeks." She added.

" Yes, but how many times a week do you actually spend the night there?" G questioned. She shrugged.

" What the hell does that have to do with where the system put me?" she demanded angrily.

" Nothing, simple question is all." G assured her quickly, knowing that pushing too far would make her close up.

" More like stupid." She grumbled.

" What about Bobby?" he asked, changing to a subject she'd be more willing to discuss.

" What about him?" she shot back. He shrugged nonchalantly,

" He's been with you for six weeks, according to the school you two attend, he makes trouble but you or Mac dig him out of it." He replied.

" You forget his tasteful fashion sense." She quipped back sarcastically.

" And how he came back last night, terrified? And surprisingly neither you or Mac did. That suggests a lot Cassie." He warned. She made a face.

" You saying I was going out with Mac, 'cause dude that's crossing a line. Several lines in fact. Probably a state border too." She argued.

" No, all I'm saying is that something happened last night. That wasn't going to a party. Probably something to do with those broken ribs of yours." He corrected.

" I don't have any broken ribs!" she cried, standing up abruptly but before she could a flash of pain lit up her dirty face for a moment before she slumped back down in defeat.

" Right, they're bruised. My that failed attempt to stand up had to do with your arm?" he grinned at her, a layer of sarcasm underneath. She frowned at him.

" We went to a party. Some jackass' thought they'd get smart with me, and things got ugly." She explained.

" These jackass' got a name?" he asked, taking out a pen in preparation to write down their names.

" Yeah. Idiot, bitch, and jerk." She smirked.

" How about the party you went to? Whose was it?" he asked.

" I don't know. It was a weird night." She snapped. G pulled out a photo of Paul Hinderlan.

" You know him?" he passed her the photo. She looked down, but G tracked her eyes and watched as they look anywhere but the photo.

" No." she lied. He sighed, and pulled out a photo of the necklace the police had found at the crime scene.

" How about this?" he asked, she shook her head.

" Do I look like the kind of kid who wears jewelry?" she demanded. He shrugged.

" I used to wear an earring until I was twenty-five." He confessed. She smirked,

" Cop school make you take it out?" she asked, half taunting. He shook his head,

" Nope. Suspect I was chasing, turned around and ripped it out of my ear." He answered. She snorted at the story.

" You have it when you were at Erlof's or after?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes at her.

" Who says I was even in the foster system?" he demanded coldly.

" No decent parent lets their kid play at that park. Either you had a crappy family, or you stayed with Erlof. I guessed." She explained.

" After." He answered.

" So then what happened to Jason?" she asked. Jason. The name brought the full force blow of those memories back to G.

" Are you the cop here, or am I?" he demanded. She smirked.

" Defensive much?" she joked.

" Says the girl who's been lying this entire time." She paled. He had her, it was the last push that mattered now. He had to make her know he knew everything, when he didn't, or she'd see her an escape and take it. " You said you went to a party, but you can't remember whose, or who was there. You say you don't know him, but you refused to look at his face. You've never seen that necklace before? Then how come you won't stop glancing at this picture? You were in an alley last night." he told her. " You, Mac, and Bobby. You were hiding from Erlof. He showed up and started abusing your brothers. You attacked him, and then this guy shows up and tries to save you." He lowered his voice, speaking softly now. " But Erlof shoots him, and your brother. You lose the necklace dragging Mac's body to the road, and don't notice it's gone until we show it to you. You spend the night in the tunnel, forgetting about Bobby who goes home. Erlof shot two men in that alley last night, didn't he?" Years of anger and regret built up in G, hopes skyrocketing that maybe this time Erlof would pay… that Cassie wouldn't end up like him, knowing that monster is still out there, and that no one can stop him. He hoped this time they'd get him, and G would finally be able to go that park, find Jason's grave and tell him. Tell him his killer's off the streets for good.

Cassie's eyes filled up with tears as she relived horrifying minutes that felt like entire lifetimes. Screaming for him to stop, the brick of steel slamming into her stomach, over and over again. Bang, Bang, Bang. Begging silently for Mac to get up, smile at her, crack a joke about Erlof's bad aim, and run with her and Bobby, all the way to the park. All the way to safety. This time maybe they'd call that stupid social worker. Erlof was getting too dangerous. They had to go, even if it meant splitting up.

G watched as she crashed, the pressure, the trauma, the pain, ever moment of terror in her short life pressed down on her like Mount Everest and she crumbled.

Except not in the way Callen wanted her to.

" No… No… He didn't do it. I did. I shot them both." She looked up into his stunned blue eyes, the conviction in her voice almost tangible as she repeated truthfully, " I killed them."

Sam watched his partner closely. Callen was being affected by this case, more than he was letting on. And the desperate, almost hungry look in his eyes told Sam it was time to figure out why. He wanted Erlof gone. Just how bad was the question. Sam knew G had been abused as a kid, and some times were worse than others. Sam's question was: How bad was Erlof?

Suddenly, his cell phone rang, just as Callen sat down across from Cassie.

" Sam." he answered, and was stunned to hear Hetty's voice on the other line. " Mr. Hanna, I need you to come to my office. Immediately." she ordered. Sam narrowed his eyes, were the charges going to stick?

" We'll be there in five minutes, Callen's interrogating the girl right now." G had called Hetty and debriefed her on the way back from the park.

" Do not bring Mr. Callen, come alone. I expect you standing in my office in three minutes." Hetty hung up. Strange orders. Sam grabbed the keys, and headed for the door. Hetty would only call him if it was urgent. And she would only tell him to come alone if it was related to Callen. And this case had Callen written all over it in big red letters.

" Where are you going?" Kensi yelled after him.

" Lunch, man's gotta eat!" he lied, shutting the door quickly behind him.

" Hey can you get me a-?" The door shut. Dejected, Deeks looked at his partner. " Will you get me one of those-?"

" No Deeks."

OSP HQ

" Hetty!" Sam yelled, impatient to get back to the case. He approached the office quickly, nearly jogging. " Hetty!" The office was empty. He spun around, where was she? She said be here in three minutes. It was four minutes later. " Hetty!"

" Mr. Hanna do not yell in the work place. Especially when you're late." she reprimanded, appearing from nowhere like always. He considered arguing it was only by one minute, but decided against it after seeing the grave look on his boss' face. " Sorry Hetty, but I can only take so long to get lunch." he apologized to the powerful women. She sighed and pulled a plain file from her desk drawer.

" This is from thirty years ago." she informed him. Sam looked down. It was a police report. A boy, thirteen years old had gone missing from his foster home. Apparently the foster father had been suspected, but after a testimony from another boy in the home, saying he had seen his father that night, he was cleared. The boy left two weeks later after being hospitalized for several injuries. The missing boy was never found.

Sam had the sinking feeling he knew at least one of these boys. He flipped through the file quickly until he found what he was looking for.

Two pictures, side by side. One of an older boy with long, shaggy brown hair and bright green eyes, glaring at the photographer. The other was of a boy a little younger, maybe eleven yeas old. His blond hair was unkept and dirty. He stared at the camera expressionlessly. Thirty years later, G was different. Sam wouldn't have recognized him except the blue eyes were the same. In an almost creepy way too.

" Even when he was a kid he was a little weird." Sam mused, but his insides were churning will this information.

The other boy's name was Jason. And the boy who gave Erlof his alibi was the young G Callen.

" Remarkable, isn't it?" Hetty commented. Sam looked up in confusion, what was remarkable about this? " How one person can change so much in thirty years, and another can be the same monster he was before?" she explained. Sam shook his head,

" That's called personality Hetty." he corrected, turning away from his boss, planing to head back to the boathouse.

" One more thing Mr. Hanna." Hetty called. he turned around, worried. " The last time anyone ever saw Jason was at Jay Park, with Mr. Callen."

Boathouse

" Cassie," G began, but she shook her head.

" I killed them. I got the gun. Planning to shoot Erlof with it, but things went wrong. Mac and Bobby showed up, started yelling at me. Erlof attacked me. That Hinderlan guy showed up, tried to save the day, be the hero or whatever crap he thinks he was, and I was holding the gun. All of a sudden, bam." she whispered. " They were dead. Bobby ran home and I headed to the park. You know the rest." she finished.

Erlof was the reason behind this. He was beating the kids, again. Cassie was scared, she got the gun planning to use it on Erlof, but the plan went wrong. Her brothers and Paul showed up, and she shot them by accident. But only because Erlof hurt her so badly. And because G lied thirty years ago...

He stood up, he couldn't take it anymore. Erlof was going to get away again, and another kid was going to pay for his brutality.

He made it out the door before his breathing stopped. The memories, the nightmares, those six weeks were becoming real all over again, but this time for Cassie. And he couldn't stop them for like he couldn't stop them for himself.

It was too late.

Erlof had won again.

" Where's G?" Sam demanded as he strode back into the boat house, his determination to get the truth from G burned stronger than ever.

Kensi and Deeks gave him sorry looks. Surprisingly Kensi's eyes seemed a little wet and Deeks usual remark was gone, replaced by a paler skin tone.

" He-" Deeks began, but Kensi cut him off.

" He finished the interrogation. Cassie confessed, she killed them." Sam felt a fist slam into his stomach. Cassie... she was a pain to be around and Sam had barely spent an hour with her, but she had a certain presence around her, like even though now her life seemed hopeless things would get better. Eventually.

" Where's Callen?" he growled after the initial shock wore off. Kensi shrugged,

" He left Cassie, we haven't seen him since." she replied.

Suddenly the bang of the door being flung open filled their ears.

Sam swung around, his gun aiming at the two figures in the doorway.

" Nice place you have here. Where's Agent Callen?" a snarky voice taunted, and Sam recognized her as Cassie's social worker. The bad make up job seemed highlighted in this rugged place.

" Not around, who are you?" Kensi growled menacingly.

" Cassie Andrews social worker, Tory Kadhill." Kadhill snapped back with ease.

" How did you find us?" Sam demanded coldly. This place was a secret.

" Followed you, thought Cassie might've stolen away in your car. She can be such trouble some days! Looks like I was right." she finished with a smug look, with a pointed painted finger nail at the one way mirror, showing Cassie with her head down in her arms, totally still.

" We found your charge surrounded by armed men at Jay Park. You need to put those tracking skills to use on your work rather than on cops." Sam remarked coldly. She brushed the insult aside.

" Agent Callen asked for Terrence Erlof. I did a little digging, and found out that Mr. G Callen was a former foster child in Mr. Erlof's care." she announced coolly, obviously thinking this would come as a shock to the team.

" Did you also see that two boys named Jason and Paul were there as well? And only two of those boys left Erlof's house alive? And yet, here we are thirty years later, and Terrence Erlof still has children in his care. One of whom is missing and the other just confessed to double homicide. Noticing a pattern yet?" Sam countered sarcastically, shocking Deeks and Kensi with this news, while keeping his face angry.

" That was years ago." Kadhill countered weakly. Kensi snorted behind Sam, stepping into help her friend and brushing aside her shock.

" We found Paul dead in an alley where Erlof was seen the night before. Cassie confessed today, Mac went missing yesterday. This is all pretty recent. Years ago a boy died at Erlof's and no one bothered to notice? Who the hell are you people?" she snarled. Kadhill made a disgusted face at Blye and Sam stepped forward, danger spreading from him like a flood.

" You followed us here, you taunt us, you make an idiot of yourself, but you haven't given us a reason why." he spat in a deep voice. She let out a huge sigh, and met Sam's eyes with practiced ease.

" I came here to give you the person you've been looking for. See what he says." she turned around, and Sam looked up to see the dark looming figure of Terrence Erlof, the monster that had been tormenting people for more than three decades.

" Where's that boy?" came the drunk grumble through fat lips.

" Right here, Erlof."

A/N: So, if I get ten reviews, I'll update either either next weekend but hopefully before. If not, I'll try getting it up soon, but there are no promises. (I only say this as motivation for me, I like to keep my promises.) Criticism is LOVED!

Thank you to all who have or will review, fav, alert, read, hate, love, through donuts at, eat a donut, watch NCIS LA/NCIS, and read my rambling.

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	6. Chapter 6 The Truth Isn't Pretty

AN/: Thanks goes to everyone who reviewed! I didn't count but I figured I should put this up before the weekend anyways.

NOTE TO BE READ: Rated T for a reason people… I might be paranoid though.

Thanks again!

Searching

Chapter 6 The Truth Isn't Pretty

Callen leaned against the door into the interrogation room, not wanting to see his team after letting so much show on his face. Letting the rage, fear, and raw frustration wash over him in huge, devastating waves, letting chunks of him disappear with them felt so good he was tempted to just stay frozen here until someone, probably Sam, came to make sure he was still here.

Cassie confessed. Gave them the truth. But it wasn't the one he wanted. It never was.

But this was different.

This had been his second chance. Redemption. And he blew it. A scared girl was going to jail, a Marine and an innocent boy gone, and a monster still free. He wanted to say it wasn't fair, but knew it would sound stupid, if true.

The truth was sometimes like an old faded scar. But most of the time, it was like another gun shot to the chest. And the pure disappointment from this reality felt like the five that had pierced him a year and a half ago.

The pain might've ripped him apart, if he hadn't heard the voice that often filled his nightmares and struck his ears like poison.

" Where's that boy?"

G didn't even think. He ripped the door open, strode out, and let his intimidation overpower the room. " Right here, Erlof." The name came out as pure hatred and he was glad. Because that's what he felt for this thing. Hatred. Powerful, unwavering hatred.

His team swung around their heads to face him, obviously stunned and a little sorry at the same time. The social worker from before was there, standing smugly in front of Erlof, thinking she had this all under control, when in reality, she had no idea what she had done.

Seeing Erlof again, after so many years of letting his fear and hatred brew and expand, telling himself over and over again it wasn't his fault, but Erlof's, and never accepting it, watching the date pass and go and no one, not once mentioned it, not on the news, the newspaper, or the internet, G felt a wall collide into him. It nearly knocked the NCIS agent over with the agony that accompanied it. No one could see, it was gone too fast, but G's muscles bunched together in preparation to fight, flee, or brace himself against the blows, and his hands trembled slightly against his steel will.

Erlof smirked, but to G, it looked more like the cruel laugh Erlof had let loose when G dropped a dish on his own foot because his hands had shook so badly.

He remembered that. Paul had opened his mouth to tell the man to shut up, but Jason stepped in. Punching Paul softly on the arm, and ushering both boys out the door before Erlof got mad, Jason had saved them. But not without calling back quickly to Terrence, " Shut up Erlof! At least G-Money here isn't as stupid or as drunk as you!"

Callen vaguely remembered laughing as they bolted for their lives, hearing Erlof trip over his own fat feet.

" Same old G, hiding while the bigger man does the real work." Erlof snorted, and Callen had trouble restraining his gun from putting a bullet in his old foster father's head.

" Same old Erlof, drunk and fat." he replied coldly, walking forwardly carefully but stopping a good distance away from the man. Old habits die hard.

Erlof's face burned a brilliant red as he snarled back,

" Watch that tongue boy!"

Before Callen could answer, his partner's controlled anger snapped and he interrupted their brutal jeering. " I'd watch yours, because every single armed person in this room will kill you. Several times over." he warned quietly. Erlof looked from Sam to G, dumb shock coating his flabby face. But it quickly faded into a fake amused sneer,

" Looks like you got yourself a boyfriend G! Knew you was always an odd one!" Erlof's brutal gaze fell on Kensi, and a smile covered his disgusting face, " No, you ain't stupid enough to date him, are you? He's a coward and a klutz girl. But he is good at running." Erlof cracked. Kensi stepped forward threateningly, but a hand on her shoulder from Deeks stopped her.

" I wouldn't do that Erlof." G warned quietly, thirty years of rage silently building up in him.

Erlof turned to face his old foster son, a smirk etched on his face, from alcohol or because he found this amusing, no one would ever be able to tell. " And why's that cupcake? She gonna kill me too? You wouldn't do that would you honey?" he directed the last sentence towards the Junior Agent, who didn't shoot him only because her partner was restraining her arm while simultaneously stopping himself from shooting the evil man.

" I wouldn't put it past her, but no. That would be me." he threatened emotionlessly. Erlof laughed, stumbling towards him. Sam stepped forward to stop him, but a quick signal from Callen stopped him.

" You think you can kill me?" Erlof hissed, the same vicious glint in his eyes as thirty years ago. G considered the question for a moment, before whispering back even more dangerously and with more venom,

" Yes."

He continued, more for his team's benefit than his own, " But I'm not you, so unless you try something, I'll settle for placing you under arrest."

Erlof's bushy eyebrows came together in confusion.

" You're a cop?" he demanded. G stared at him coldly. Erlof snorted,

" Just wait until you get shot boy. Then we'll see if you like being the hero so much." he grumbled. G didn't bother telling him he'd already been shot. Several times in fact.

Instead he went back to second plan, the first being shoot Terrence in the head. The second was making sure he gets prison for life. Though with Hetty on his side, he might not have to do anything. Callen would be happy, happy to let this finally go after thirty years. After a life time of fear and anger.

" Terrence Erlof, you're under arrest." he announced, letting the words he had wanted to say since he first gripped his badge in his hand so long ago glide out of his mouth.

He didn't dare look up, in fear of his team seeing the pain on his face and the pins poking the back of his eyes as he realized this was all over. Done. Finished. Finally.

Except Erlof disagreed, this wasn't over until he said it was. And there was no way he was going to let this boy end it.

He remembered the eleven year old boy who had first ended his home thirty years ago, the little boy who looked at his hand apprehensively the first day, and flinched whenever it twitched by the end of the second week.

Erlof turned to face G, and raised his hand threateningly, letting himself become the same Erlof of thirty years ago. Terrence was fat, brutal and a monster. But he was no idiot when it came to scaring people. Especially when they were people he had hurt before.

Callen caught the hand out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help it. Six weeks had been a long time. Weeks of training himself to be watchful of that hand. Even now, when he got punched and deflected punches all the time, he couldn't help it.

He flinched.

In the years that they had worked together, Sam had seen Callen punch people, get punched, kicked, knifed, spat on, shot at, run over, ran into, crashed into, crash, and shot more times than he cared to count because usually that meant that he, Sam, had either screwed up or was punching, being punched, kicked, knifed, spat on, shot at, run over, ran into, crashed into, crash, and shot himself. Then he'd have to listen to Callen's whining for the couple of days it would take for him to get hurt again.

But never, not once, had G ever cowered. Not when they were being tortured or his cover had been blown, or when he accidentally ran the car off the road.

Not until Erlof raised that meaty hand anyways. G's eyes had been glued to the monster's face up until that moment, and then they were suddenly stuck to that palm, as if waiting for it to come down.

His head instinctively tilted the other way, and his knees buckled slightly as Erlof's hand came slicing down toward Callen's face. Sam moved forward to help his partner, but it was too late. G hadn't moved fast enough.

The slap didn't actually hurt, it just threw a knife into his pride, and sanity.

_" G-Force, don't." Jason whispered, grabbing the little boy's arm as he raced forward, anger spurring him on. He was sick of Erlof and sick of his life. But this had snapped him. He and Jason had come home early to find Paul barely able to move he was so bruised and bloody. _

_ " He nearly killed him!" Callen hissed, shaking off the older hand quickly. But Jason didn't keep kids safe by letting them go try and beat up the foster dad who was twice their size._

_ " I know! But how does getting you beat up help Paul?" Jason spun the boy around, restraining him firmly with two hands on his shoulders. The blond haired boy shook with rage, his blue eyes burned with determination. _

_ " It just does! I can't stand here and let him get away with it!" he spat. Jason sighed, he understood but had learned a while ago to ignore those sort of feelings. _

_ " I know G-man. But this won't do anything." he promised. G sighed, beginning to see the sense. _

_ " What will?" he finally asked, turning his face up so the older boy could see his blue eyes clearly. " What can we do?" he repeated. _

_ Jason paused, he had never really wondered about that. After a few seconds of deliberation he settled on an answer that solved this problem and might be actually helpful_.

_" Survive. Prove him wrong. Make something of yourself, I don't care what. Just survive G, and you'll help more than just Paul." _

The words replayed in Callen's ears everyday, but now they rang out sharply and he was tempted to whisper them. Just one last time before he put this man away.

But he didn't. He couldn't, not in front of his team. Instead he reacted. Ripping Erlof's arm around, and twisting it painfully. It was rather therapeutic. Nate should really try this technique sometime. Slamming his old foster father against the boathouse felt like he was lifting a thousand bricks off his shoulders. The click of the hand cuffs was music to his ears.

" Terrence Erlof, you're under arrest for attacking a federal officer, child abuse, resisting arrest, and a hell of a lot of other things."

Callen didn't even notice the agony on his face until he had spun the man around, and met the shocked stares of his team.

Dammit.

" I'll take him to get processed." Kensi offered quickly, and Deeks nodded in agreement. G was nervous letting Erlof go into Kensi's hands, but he released him without any hesitation. He didn't work with people he didn't trust. Not with something like this anyways. Sam stayed behind, staring at him calmly.

" Excuse me? That's my client! I brought him here to negotiate! Not to be thrown in prison!" Kadhill screeched. Sam glanced at G, then back at the social worker.

" Good point. Deeks, arrest her for tailing a federal agent." he called out. Marty paused mid-step,

" Is that an offense?" he asked. Sam shrugged,

" I don't know, but she did something to my car and that is. I don't believe she could tail me without one of us noticing." Deeks nodded and took the women away as well.

The two partners were left standing in the room, watching a lifetime of horrors get tucked away.

" Piece of work." Sam commented. Callen nodded, letting his fingers run across his bruised cheek lightly.

Hanna let the silence fill the space for a few moments before continuing. " Hetty told me. About Jason." he confessed. Not to his surprise, Callen nodded.

" I was wondering how long it would take her to find that file." he mused.

" I'm sorry man." Callen brushed it off, as usual.

" So am I, but you knew the story before now." he reminded his partner.

" I didn't know you lied to the police." Sam countered. Callen's face darkened and the man turned away, ashamed. " You were eleven years old, G. I don't care how tough you were, that man is a scary son of a bitch. I'd be worried about your sanity if you hadn't given him that alibi." G didn't smile at the joke.

" Two men are dead because of me Sam. That's not right." G whispered, staring at Cassie through the window.

" If you hadn't lied, what makes you think he wouldn't have killed you. All of the people you've saved would be dead." Callen's partner reasoned, G shrugged.

" Somebody else would've done it." he argued. Deciding to leave this fight for later, Sam faced the girl who hadn't moved since G had left.

" Think she did it?" he asked.

" She confessed." Callen answered, Sam gave him a look.

" But you don't believe her." G shook her head.

" I think there's more to the story than she's telling us. That doesn't mean something didn't happen." Sam nodded, as much as they both hated it, this story wasn't finished yet.

G had a thoughtful look on his face, " What about Bobby?"

" What about him?" G smiled, almost evilly.

" Kadhill will be busy dealing with Erlof." he explained, " We could just go pop by and ask a couple questions. Make sure Cassie's telling the truth."

Sam followed his partner out the door, smiling slightly.

AN:/ Liked it? Hated it? Threw tomatoes at it? Let me know! Ten reviews equals an update before next weekend. Thanks again! Click the button, criticism is loved!


	7. Chapter 7 A World Where No One Belonged

AN/ Hi! I haven't updated in forever I know… THANK YOU to all of you who reviewed! You guys are awesome and give me a sense that someone is actually reading this! Constructive criticism is loved and appreciated. Erm.. oh yeah READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING TO ALL OF YOU WHO DON'T READ AUOTHOR"S NOTE: IT:S IMPORTANT! (Apoligies for making you scream in your head) but this chapter is VERY descriptive of abuse, self and otherwise, and includes many thoughts of suicide and murder. Just so you know, this is more M-ish than T. Okay, go read the story.

THANK YOU FOR READING OR/AND REVIEWING AND/OR ALERTING AND/OR FAVORITING!

Searching

_ G stared out the window of the car, the streets slipping by like families. The neighborhood was better than other places he'd lived, not that that meant much. G had gone from an orphanage in the heart of LA to the streets to your average suburban home. This place was no different than any other and after eight years, G didn't expect it to be. _

_ His eye stung from a black eye he earned, not from his last foster mother, but one of the older boys he had been living with. Drunk. It didn't bother G that much that the boy had punched him, it was seeing a thirteen year old stone drunk that scared him. In two years, would that be him? Drunk and beating kids, like foster parents? It was agony seeing a kid being pushed that low. It was terrifying too. _

_ The social worker, dark haired, lots of make up, three inch heels, fancy suit, oversized ego drove next to him, watching the streets with a forced cheery smile. _

_ " Now G," she began and Callen tensed, knowing what was coming. You're so lucky to have found a home... It's a miracle I found someone so perfect... I'm sure this will be the place... You'll love it here... Don't get in trouble... Be polite, respectful, and grateful... Be a good boy... Call me if you need me... it was a bunch of bull shit. _

_ " Mr. Erlof has two other boys in his care so you're lucky he is taking you in. I want you to be on your best behavior. Just call me if you need anything but I'm sure you won't. It's a really lovely place this time G. I promise." She glanced at him and gave him a sincere smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and made him want to barf. _

_ He returned to the window. _

_ They sat there in silence for a full minute when suddenly a commotion appeared on the street. _

_ Two boys sprinting down the street, an older one shoving the other forward as a whole gang of high school age boys chased them. _

_ G pressed his face against the window. _

_ One was older than him, the other much smaller, maybe eight years old. The older one had a large bruise on his cheek and baggy t-shirt billowed out around his torso. The younger one wore jeans that were rolled up several times around the ankles and waist. G glanced down at his own way too small jeans that showed at least four inches of his ankles. It was a good thing he was so scrawny. _

_ Even through the window, Callen could hear the yells. _

_ " Get back here midgets!" A short high schooler bellowed, shaking his fist at them. The older boy, who stood a good three inches taller than the high schooler, snorted and called back, _

_ " Who you calling midget, short stuff?" The older kids all sped up, forcing the two running boys to sprint harder. Unfortunately at that moment, the car turned a corner and the scene was gone. _

_ " Hey! Wait!" G cried, scrambling to turn around and make sure the two boys made it out okay. The social worker raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, _

_ " What is it?" G looked from her to the street corner. He sat back, dejected. It didn't matter, he couldn't have done anything anyways. Probably just make it worse. _

_ " Nothin'." _

" G?" Sam demanded for the third time, " Callen!" His partner snapped out of his memories and sat up abruptly, having slumped over as he relived the last time he drove down this street.

" What?" he asked, doing an automatic search of their surroundings.

" You okay?" Sam asked.

G nodded, " Fine." he replied shortly and faced the window again, as if looking for something. Or someone.

" Hetty can get the charges against Cassie reduced." Sam tried to assure his partner. G nodded absentmindedly. " What jury is going to prosecute a kid?"

This brought an odd response from Callen. " I know one." he muttered.

Deciding to leave that story for later, Hanna continued the drive in silence.

" You know what house number?" he finally asked as they pulled up to the street. Callen perked his head up and nodded at an old, obviously unmaintained white house. The door had more than one dent in it and looked one swing away from falling off the hinges entirely. The lawn was uncared for and overgrown, the small front porch had two empty beer bottles smashed into the wood.

Sam caught the slight tense in G's muscles as they stepped out onto the shattered driveway.

" This is it." Callen announced, his blue eyes roaming over every inch, taking in every change, similarity and memory attached to it. Playing kickball with a deflated ball in the front yard while Erlof was gone. Worn sneakers slapping against the cement as they fled hell. Sitting on those front steps, in the rain, waiting for Jason to come home, so they could go to the park for the night.

Callen took point and was surprised at the familiarity of the doorknob under his hands, the last time he touched thing he was a hell of a lot smaller.

The front hall was cluttered with old papers, dirt, and emptiness.

" Bobby?" Sam called from the doorway. It wasn't until his partner spoke that G realized he had forgot to knock.

It had been all too familiar, walking in without knocking, as quietly as possible. What sounded odd was the yell. While he had been here, they had snuck in and snuck out every time. Callen had to suppress the urge to shush Sam, like Jason had to him and Paul a billion times.

They traveled the entire bottom floor, all empty of any people. It looked almost exactly like Callen had left it. Beer bottles smashed and intact covering every surface. Stains glowed on the floor and carpet from where Erlof had tripped.

The ancient Tv was beaten and worn, like everything that passed through this hell. Especially the kids.

" Clear." Sam yelled from the kitchen. G nodded,

" Upstairs." The stairs creaked like they always had, and just as loud. The walls were dented and chipped, just like they were downstairs. The small hallway that led to the two tiny bedrooms and two baths was gross and crowded. Sam checked Erlof's bedroom, which G was thankful for that. He didn't want to enter that hell.

Instead Callen traveled to a room he knew all too well. Just like the tunnel in Jay Park he could still see every detail clearly in his head. The hallway seemed smaller than it had thirty years ago, and as he stepped inside the tiny room that seemed more closet like, G could almost see the small ghosts of three boys, enjoying the freedom from their foster father if only for a couple hours.

_" G-Ride, if you don't quit throwing things at Paul, I'm gonna stuff my foot sofar up your ass-" Jason threatened from across the room, perched on a make shift bed of blankets and old, musty pillows. The two younger boys, sitting on the slightly larger twin bed they were forced to share, immediately stopped fighting. The older of the two, Callen, had been tossing random things at his foster brother, who was becoming increasingly annoyed and whiny with every throw. When a pencil sailed past his ear and hit Jason in the face, the oldest boy stood up and G dived under the bed for cover, laughing. _

_ " Hey! Get back up here, coward!" Jason ordered, playing along for now. Paul shoved the pillow on his lap off and dropped onto his knees. _

_ " Yeah coward! Get back up here!" Being seven his voice was slightly squeaky, and the two other boys stifled laughs._

_ " I'm not a coward!" G yelled, his voice muffled from the bed. Jason scoffed, _

_ " Really? 'Cause I think I'm gonna start callin' ya G-Chicken!" _

_ " That's funny coming from you!" G shot back. Jason glowered, _

_ " And what is that supposed to mean?" his voice had taken on a slightly edged tone and G quickly explained, _

_ " I saw you with Isabella Torl, she wanted you to ask her out and you were too scared!" _

_ " Why you little-!" Jason growled, blushing a deep red. Paul fell onto the bed, he was laughing so hard. Jason stuck his head under the bed, but Callen had already crawled out the other end, relishing in his glory. _

_ " You were too chicken to ask a girl out on a date! You were gonna and then you changed your mind, cause you were scared!" G crowed, then scrambled away as Jason lunged at him, muttering curses. _

_ " You shouldn't have seen that!" _

_ G smiled, " I bet you have her picture under your pillow too!" He ran across the room, his arm slipping out of Jason's frantic grip easily. _

_ " G, no!" Jason's voice was suddenly harsh and scared, but too late. Callen had already ripped off the pillow, revealing the secret underneath. _

_ A black, semi-automatic gun. Next to it lay five bullets. _

_ Callen instinctively stepped back several steps, and tripped onto the bed, landing next to a stunned Paul. _

_ " Jason, is that a-?" the little boy whispered his eyes wide with fear. Jason hastily covered the weapon and face the two boys, worry and regret covering his features. _

_ " Just forget that, okay guys? It's just in case." he assured them quickly. _

_ " Just in case of what?" Paul prompted. THe jokes and Isabella Torl were gone, forgotten by this danger and stunning revelation. _

_ " Just in case..." Jason trailed off, unsure how to explain why he might need a gun so G filled in for him. _

_ " Just in case Erlof tries to kill him." Callen announced. _

_ " Us. G-Force, Us." Jason corrected, giving him a hard look that clearly said that the gun was for their protection, not just one singular person._

_ " But... but..." Paul stuttered._

_Jason sighed, " We'll probably never need it boys. It's just a precaution." G had a sudden thoughtful look, taking in the dents in the wall, his own bruised and bloody face, Jason's scars and bruises, and Paul's limp from his last encounter with Erlof where the monster had nearly killed the boy. _

_ " What if we used it to protect ourselves?" he asked, a new, dark idea lighting up his eyes. His foster brothers looked at him to explain. G shrugged, replying simply. " We kill Erlof." _

_ The response was instantaneous. Paul gasped and scooched away from the eleven year old, as if he was poisonous. _

_ Jason on the other hand, stood up and let all his anger stream through his eyes into G's. _

_ " We're not killers Callen. We're thieves, liars, beggars, and cowards. But we are not killers." _

_ G cowered and mumbled, " But it would stop-" Jason interrupted, _

_ " No G. It wouldn't stop anything. We'd eventually get moved and I won't be able to protect you. Or are you gonna kill those bastards too?" the oldest boy snarled. G's blue eyes flared with anger._

_ " So? Maybe I will! Maybe I'll kill them all! All of the bastards and monsters and bad guys! Maybe I'll get rid of them all so no one will get hurt! And who says I need protecting? I looked after myself just fine before I met you! I can take of myself Jason! I don't need a moron like you to take care of me! I don't need anyone to take care of me!" he screamed, standing up. His fists shook and his rage roared loudly as he let it take over. _

_ Jason didn't yell or punch him, he just stood there and let G roar. _

_ " Maybe I'll just take that gun of yours and shoot them! Shoot them dead because that's what they deserve! They should die, not you or me or Paul! They should because they're the bad guys and they hurt people! I want them dead!" G Callen wailed, his entire body quivering with fury now. He meant it too. He did want them dead. He wanted them to stop hurting him and other people. He wanted to shoot them and he wanted to be free of people controlling him like a game piece to be lost and thrown away once they got tired of it. _

_ He was so angry, G didn't notice Paul curling up in a ball in the farthest corner of the bed, or all the birds squawking as they flew away from the window, or Jason just staring at him, his expression blank and emotionless. _

_ When Callen was done, no one moved. No one knew what to do. G least of all. Finally, sick of the silence and Jason's empty stare, Callen did what he had always done. He threw his bag over his shoulder and ran. He didn't hear the stairs creak like he always did, nor did he notice the beer bottles for once and their over powering stench. _

_ His feet led him, not his brain. G sprinted, using his rage to run faster and faster. He didn't know if he could stop, he didn't know if he wanted to. All he knew was that he had to. _

_ Finally, he slowed down enough to jump onto the park jungle gym and came to a complete stop in front of the tunnel. His brain couldn't figure out a way to go through it, so his fist searched for one. G never registered the pain as he slammed his knuckles, his fists, his head, his whole body against the tunnel. The only vent he could find. He wanted them dead and he wanted to be dead. He wanted to keep running and he wanted to stay and keep banging. He wanted to be left alone and he wanted Jason to find him and tell him to stop being an idiot and come back. But that wouldn't solve anything, that would just bring him back to where he was today. And yesterday. And the day before that. And the past month and a half he had been stuck here. And the house before this, with the abusive foster brother and parents. And the eight years before that. He wanted to know why his parents weren't here, why he didn't live with them in a nice house, why he screamed about killing people rather than at the Tv when his football team didn't win. Why he never got a birthday card. Why he didn't know his first name. Why he was alone. Why he couldn't trust anyone. Why he was standing here, smashing his hands against a plastic tunnel, rather than doing homework or talking to his parents. Why he played with two boys years older and younger than him rather than kids his own age. Why he was G Callen._

_ " G!" Callen smirked, he was hallucinating now. Why would Jason, who he had just screamed at and called a moron, come after him? The freak G Callen who didn't have anyone and was treated like a human punching bag. " G!" He was going crazy. He was going crazy just like that psycholigist said he was when he was six and claimed that his foster parents beat him. That was the first and only time he ever told anyone he was abused. " G Callen!" He vaguely wondered if the psych ward was better than the system. He hoped. Maybe they'd give enough drugs, he'd die. " G-Force, if you don't stop kicking that tunnel's ass, I'm gonna kick yours." It really was amazing how much l this hallucination sounded like Jason. It even sounded like something the older boy would say. G wished he hadn't screamed, he owed Jason his life several times and often caught himself wishing he and Jason and Paul were real brothers, living with real parents in a real home. He wouldn't even mind a little sister that much._

_ Suddenly something wrapped around his wrists, and tugged them back, away from the tunnel. He felt the blood dripping down them and the pain abruptly took over his mind. G wondered how badly he had screwed up his hands. Soon those thoughts were driven from his brain as he realized he wasn't punching anymore. And he wanted to punch. _

_ " Let go of me!" he thrashed in the arms that had surrounded him. " Let go!" he screamed. _

_ " I would, because believe me G-Man, you smell." Jason hissed in his hear. G paused in his fight._

_ " You tried taking a whiff of yourself Jason?" he snapped, and was rewarded with the arms freeing him. _

_ G took a step towards the field and the sandbox, that luckily had been abandoned for now by the gang that usually took residence there. He was free. He was going to leave. He had done it before, hadn't gotten very far before the cops picked him up. Those damn cruisers always caught him. But now, he would get out and never come back. He'd run until he died. _

_ " Oh no you don;t!" Jason wrestled him back, and this time his grip was firmer. _

_ " Let go! I don't want to go back! I won't! I won't go back!" G wailed, wriggling. But Jason held strong, waiting for a lull in the fight to speak. _

_ " I know you don't, and God, neither do I. But G-Money, we gotta." he explained, but Callen was past that. He was on pure instinct and his instincts told him to run. _

_ " NO! I WON'T!" _

_ Suddenly, Jason was in front of him, standing with his hands firmly on G's shoulders, keeping him still but facing the younger boy at the same time. _

_ " G-Man, look at me." Callen didn't, he was frantically trying to find somewhere, anywhere, else to look because he knew if he did, Jason would win. " G Callen!" Jason roared and the boy's blue eyes automatically flicked to him. " God, I feel bad for your teachers G-Man." Jason muttered. " Listen, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once and then I;m letting you go and if you run, I ain't goin' after ya. Okay?" G nodded, more out of habit than of genuine curiosity. _

_ " Okay." Jason took a deep breath, glanced at the sky, and looked directly into Callen's eyes. " I agree with you." he announced._

_ G's blue eyes widened in shock and in, the smallest amount, terror. He agreed? Jason wanted to kill them too? Jason was so... non-violent. So calm and cool. He kept his temper and always made the logical decision, even, no especially, when it contradicted with what his or G's emotions said. Sometimes Callen wondered if Jason had emotions and that's why he was so calm and always made the right decisions, he only let his brain think and not his heart. _

_ " You what?" _

_ " Agree. I bought that gun to kill Erlof. To protect you and Paul." Jason explained and all the air was blown from G's lungs. He was actually going to go through with it. But he hadn't. Not yet. _

_ " Are you gonna?" Callen asked, not out of excitement or fear, but out of curiosity. Plain curiosity. Jason's glossy eyes turned hard and real as he glared at his little brother, _

_ " No." G couldn't stop his heart from slipping down in his chest a little. " I still want to though. I want to put all those bullets in his chest. But I'm not gonna. Because that means he wins G. If I kill him, it means he broke me and won. And I'm not about to lose to a drunk monster like Terrence Erlof. You got that Callen? We are not gonna lose, not today and not ever." _

_ Somehow, G stuffed his emotions away and listened, really listened and understood the words. He understood that if either of them killed Erlof, the fat monster would win. Because to Terrence, making the boys drown in constant agony was the ultimate goal. Killing him would only achieve that goal. Now Callen let the feelings back in and was shocked to see that they agreed with his brain. He wasn't going to kill anybody. Ever. _

_ " I got it." G nodded. Jason smiled and let go of his shoulders, stepping back and nodding to himself, _

_ " I knew I rubbed off on you. Next thing you know, you'll be too scared to ask Isabella out." he joked. G smiled back, pushing past the agony in his hands, heart and mind and letting himself enjoy this one moment with his brother. It felt good, almost... familiar. _

_ " Hey Jason?" Callen asked timidly. _

_ " What's up G-Force?" Callen shuffled his feet and looked away, almost embarrassed. He'd tried giving up this habit but every time, he needed to carve his name in somewhere. _

_ " Can you do me a favor?" he continued. " I'll pay you back." he added hopefully. Jason shrugged, _

_ " Depends on what that favor is." G dug his hand painfully into his back pocket and retrieved a worn, rusted pocket knife he had stolen off another kid in the street about a year ago. _

_ " Carve my name into the tunnel." Jason appraised the younger boy for a moment, trying to see if this was a joke. From the young boy's serious face and lack of mad laughter before running away, Jason guessed it wasn't. _

_ " Okay." he snatched the knife out of Callen's hand and slid under the plastic, carefully working the blade into the material. _

_ " Any reason I'm doing this?" he finally asked once he was done with the 'a'. Callen shrugged, " It's a habit." he explained with a shrug. Jason nodded, still slicing. _

_ " It's a good one, mind if I add my name too?" _

_G shook his head, " No." The older boy smiled and glided out of the tunnel with ease, _

_ " Good, 'cause I already did." He grabbed the younger boy around the shoulders and slowly began leading him away from the park, the sun shining on their backs rather than pounding into them, and even though blood covered G's hands and he wasn't in a house with parents and homework and sports, he had one thing he never had but always wanted, deep down in a place he didn't even know existed. A brother. _

" What d'ya want?" Someone growled from the corner, curled up on the same bed G had slept in thirty years ago. The bulging pillow even looked the same.

The boy looked about eleven years old with long, shaggy dark brown hair and bright blue eyes.

" NCIS, Special Agent Callen. Bobby right?" he replied, slipping into the room casually.

The boy smirked bitterly, " Does it matter?"

G shrugged, " Not really, no. Except that I'm pretty sure Cassie wouldn't appreciate seeing the wrong kid." The reaction was immediate. Bobby sprung from the bed, his little fists curled and ready, his face set into a determined, angry wall.

" Where is she? If you touched her-"

Callen cut him off. " She's safe back at NCIS." he assured the boy, who took his word and slumped back onto the bed, reverting back to the bored, indifferent, uncaring form he had been in when Callen first entered the cramped room.

" You don't care she's been arrested?" G prompted. Instantly the boy looked scared but it passed quickly.

" Why would I? If Cassie wants to screw up her life with drugs or whatever, who'm I to stop her?" he demanded grumpily. Callen nodded, and leaned against the wall, casting a quick glance at the doorway for Sam. The ex-SEAL must still be searching Erlof's room.

" Because she killed two men last night. Including your foster brother, Mac." G answered calmly. Bobby's eyebrows zipped to the top of his forehead, his eyes huge.

" She what?" he shrieked.

" You heard me. She also says you were there Bobby. Which is why I'm here. I just need you to confirm what she said, okay?" A dark figure blocked the doorway, and Bobby sat up, startled to see another stranger.

" Hey, I'm Special Agent Hanna, NCIS." Sam explained quickly. " You know why we're here?"

Bobby nodded, " Need to double check Cassie's story against mine." Sam glanced briefly at G, but agreed all the same with a quick dip of his head.

" Exactly, so we talked with your foster sister and she told us that Paul bought the gun for protection. She said he kept in here, just in case Erlof tried anything. But then, last night, she stole it and you two chased her. Erlof went after all of you. When you all met in the alley, he started attacking Mac and you, Bobby. He hurt you. So, Cassie shoots at him and unknowingly hits Mac. She sees that Erlof is still alive, figures she missed, and shoots again." As Callen spoke, Bobby continuously glanced away, at the corner, at Sam, at anything but him. His face turned red and his fingers began to quiver, the slight movement growing stronger with every word. G felt the hatred sizzle, hatred at himself for doing this to a kid, but he had to know. He had to get it right this time.

Still he couldn't hurt Bobby, not without some consolation anyways. " Terrence Erlof hurt you Bobby, and your family. He wasn't going to stop, it didn't matter if you got moved or not. He'd get another kid or he'd find someone else to bully. He's a monster Bobby, remember that. He's a monster and you gotta show him that you're stronger than he is. Because monsters like Erlof, they're big and strong, but you take a crack at them, and snap! They're mad and they're delicate feelings are hurt. How many insults have you taken Bobby? How many times has Cassie and Mac? And how many times have you snapped? Once. You're a hell of a lot stronger than him Bobby. Just show it one more time and you'll be done with him and this entire nightmare, I promise."

He didn't know if it would help or not, but he sure as hell had to try.

Tears ran down Bobby's face, out of grief for his lost brother, Mac, out of guilt for his brave sister, Cassie, out of frustration for every time he or Cassie or Mac or another child was beaten, in this house or in others, every time they had to suck it up and keep going when they didn't want to or shouldn't have had to, out of anger and hatred for Erlof, for all his foster parents, for treating him and others like dirt, for beating them, for insulting them in so many ways, for not doing what they were supposed to do, provide a shelter for him and other foster kids whose lives had dived down, out of scorn and anger at people like Kadhill, at all of his old teachers, neighbors, kids at school who bullied him or ignored him or thought he was weird or did the same to others, at the foster parents who smiled and didn't have a clue what hell he lived in, and then they gave him away because he didn't thank them on bended knee or got into a fight with a kid for whatever reason or was just too sad and angry. The tears washed away the marks of his life here, the dirt and scum, and drenched his face, staining him with every ounce of grief, guilt, fear, frustration, anger, hatred, scorn, and more anger that had passed through him and been squashed away so he could survive in a world where no one belonged.

AN/ Please review, if I get ten I'll update by the weekend, if not I'll upate whenever. Thank you and have a fantastic day!

Searching

P.S. I still have a couple chapters to go, but not many, so I was wondering if any of you would be interested if I continued this with G discovering more about his own past? I have another one that;s not posted but written that is like that, with a different story line. Just wondering which one you would prefer, since the other one won't be posted until June or later.

THANK YOU!

Searching


	8. Chapter 8 Better Than Most

AN/ Ok, so this contains pretty graphic child abuse and if you don't want to read that, tell me and I can give you an overview of what happens…. Sorry for taking so long. Umm… standard ten reviews and I'll update Wednesday or before… anything else?

Oh yeah, enjoy!

Thanks to all who reviewed, favorited, read, alerted, or ate!

Searching

Chapter 8 Better Than Most

" I did it!" he cried, through the tears that glowed with all the abuse and horrendous times he'd lived through in just eleven years.

Callen nodded; this time he believed it. He understood.

" I did it. I got the gun. I wanted to kill Erlof, to protect us. But Mac didn't want me to and Cassie was so scared of me that I ran. They caught up to me in that alley, and we were arguing, but Erlof showed up and started beating up Cassie. Mac got in the middle of it, trying to save Cassie, and then some guy showed up, and tried to stop Erlof. That's when I pulled out the gun. My first one missed, then I shot the guy, and finally..." Bobby tried to finish the sentence, but couldn't. A short gurgle came out instead, a moan of guilt, hatred at himself, at Erlof, at a countless number of people, fear for himself and his sister, anger at himself, Erlof, and another never ending list of people who could've, should've, saved him or Cassie or Mac or any other kid and didn't, fear of so many things no one, grown or not, should be scared of, frustration at his life, at the same human beings who didn't protect him or his family or another child who needed it.

" It's okay." Callen assured the boy, who lowered his head in shame and guilt and so many other feelings.

" Why? Why did I have to kill him? Why? What's wrong with me?" Bobby screeched. Out of the corner of his eye, Callen caught Sam looking sick and couldn't blame him. G felt sick himself and he was one of those who lived through this.

" Hey. Shh.. Bobby, there's nothing wrong with you." Callen told him, who faced him with large blue eyes that only varied from G's in shape, " I would've done the same thing."

_ They came home, G's hands bloody and bruised, but happy. He had a real, true brother. _

_ The first thing they noticed was the open door, fresh air invading the stale, musty layer of the stench of alcohol._

_ " Paul." Jason muttered. Sprinting for their brother's life, Jason leaped through the doorway first and G couldn't help but wince as he did, he was back. Back in Hell._

_ The second thing they noticed was the smell. It was stronger than ever and burned the inside of G's nostrils. Erlof must have gotten himself stoned._

_ The kitchen leaked with the moans and clanks of Terrence Erlof lugging his fat ass around, the smash of glass letting them know what he was searching for. _

_ Jason spun around and whispered urgently, " G-Force, go get Paul and run to the park. We're gonna hang there for awhile, okay?" G nodded, but he knew 'awhile' meant all night. It meant a hard, stiff bed of a tunnel and listening to the scary hoots of owls and crickets and the dangers of people and cars all night long. It meant waking up early so they could hide from the patrol car that checked the park at dawn. " Move your ass man." Jason hissed, " I'll make sure Erlof doesn't catch you." _

_ Callen turned to leave his brother, but paused. _

_ " Be careful Jason." he warned. The older boy turned around and gave him a crooked smile, _

_ " Are you my mother? I didn't think so. Now go get Paul." _

_ Happy to escape the groans and smashes erupting sporadically from the kitchen, G fled. _

_ " Paul! Let's go! Jason says we gonna hang at the park. C'mo-" Callen stopped as he spotted what was in the young boy's hands. The gun. " No man. You can't-" _

_ " Why not? You were right! Without Erlof, or any of 'em we'd be safe!" Paul argued, and for a moment G was inclined to agree with him. The idea of no more Erlof, or adults who hurt him or his brothers, still appealed to G with such force he almost snatched the gun out of the young boy's hands and went downstairs right then. But Jason's words replayed in his ears and Callen shook his head. _

_ " No Paul. That means he wins, and we ain't ever gonna lose to a son of a bitch like Erlof. Put it down man and we'll head to the park with Jason." Hinderlan didn't move and G snapped, " C'mon, move it! I dunno about you but I don't like walking the streets in the dark, so unless you feel like getting mugged, I'd suggest getting your ass down stairs!" _

_ Paul stuffed the gun under the pillow and scampered past the blond. He watched his back speed away, and then felt his blue eyes being dragged towards the pillow. _

_ Erlof had been pretty drunk. He might hurt them. He might follow them to the park. Jason had said the gun was for protection. What if he just went downstairs and fired a warning shot at him? Just to get him to back off? Or hit him in the leg or arm? It couldn't kill him, just make him stop. Or better yet, stop him all together. Be strong and do what Jason was too scared to. _

_ The gun weighed a thousand pounds, and his small hands didn't quite fit the handle well, but it was protection and it would shoot. It would save them. It was enough. _

_ Suddenly an ear splitting scream shook the house, followed by another, followed by what sounded like glass breaking. _

_ And just like that, the gun was as light as a feather and his hand fit snugly on the handle, his finger lying gently on the trigger. _

_ His feet bounced off the steps, his eyes narrowed in every moment of hatred, anger, frustration, guilt, and fear he had survived through, letting it move his feet a little faster, his eyes focus a little better, his ears just a litter sharper, burning the odor of beer a little stronger, the need to protect strengthen and grow just a little more. All of it added up so fast G didn't even recognize he was at the kitchen entrance until his brain processed what his eyes were being stabbed with._

_ Paul was cowered in the corner, blood coating his face, trembling like an earthquake. _

_ In the center, among the overused, ancient, abused TV, like everything else that passed through this hell, the tiny slices of glass that drenched every surface, the overpowering, revolting, horrendous stench that had always stained this place but now seemed to rule it, were two people. One was the man who G was closest to, the other was the man who would soon be the man he hated the most in his entire life, even after he became a cop. _

_ Blood dressed Erlof, from his cheap, scuffed brown shoes to his balding tan tinged hair, now matted with the sticky substance. His face was blank, his mouth slightly open, his eyes built to only see the boy at his feet, but from every pore in his body came the smell that controlled this man. He was sick with it and there was nothing that could change that. Beer was the king and Terrence Erlof was the beast, whipped and beaten into obedience._

_ Below the monster was Jason. His unruly, long, untamed chocolate brown hair didn't hide his face, instead it fanned out below his skull almost like a pillow. The man was painted in blood, like someone had drowned him in a pool of it. There was no obvious sign of injury, except his neck that was clearly snapped. He had been wrung out like a chicken. Jason's bright, shining green eyes that almost never darkened, and always treated G and everyone else like a person, not a foster kid who could be tossed around like an unwanted piece of garbage in the cafeteria. The ones that had ogled Isabella Torl for her body and her heart. The eyes that had convinced G not to kill Erlof. The same ones that had saved Callen and other kids across California a thousand times. Jason is a guardian and a savior. _

_ " NO!" Every dark emotion blasted into G like the wind, swiping him away. Jason... no... please no... NO! NO! This wasn't right, Jason hadn't deserved this. He saved people he didn't kill them! He should've lived, should've dated Isabella and eventually married a girl and had kids of his own. He should've gone to college and had a life. He should've had a life. He should've gone to the park with him and Paul and cracked jokes that made all the scary noises and fears dissipate. He should've played kickball with them, and pretended to be the announcer and crowd going wild when he kicked a home run. He could've done a lot. He should've done a lot. But he never would. Should've, could've, and would've meant nothing in their life, or anyone's. There was only what was happening and what had happened. Because everything else meant squat. _

_ His finger began to squeeze the trigger. _

_ What did ya do now G-Force?... G-Force, don't... If you kill him, it means he broke you and won. And I'm not about to let you lose to a drunken monster like Terrence Erlof. You got that Callen? You are not gonna lose, not today and not ever... _

_ The gun angled away from Erlof's head, the bullets instead zipping past his ear and embedding themselves in the wall. _

_ But from the first day G walked through that front door, to when he escaped from it today, to now, when he won, Jason was saving his ass. There were no bullets. No death. No nothing. _

_ " Paul! C'mon!" G bellowed, packing away all of his emotions for later. Now he had to survive. The boy didn't move so Callen dragged him to his feet and out of the kitchen. Erlof was still stunned and didn't notice them. _

_ Callen kicked the door open from where it had slid shut, and shoved Paul through first. _

_ " Go to Jay Park. Climb into the tunnel and hide until I get there." Callen ordered. Paul stood there; gaping blankly at Callen, blood rushing out of his nose. G ripped off the sleeve of his shirt and handed it to the boy. " You got that?" Paul didn't respond; he just stood there limply, letting the cloth dangle in his hand. Callen stuffed the cloth over his nose, jolting him awake. " Do you got that?" he barked. Paul nodded quickly, and sprinted off the steps. But stopped in the grass, spinning back around, _

_ " G! Jason's-" Callen shook his head, wishing Paul would run so he could empty his stomach already. _

_ " I know man. I'm gonna go get him and catch up with you." he promised. _

_ " No! Erlof's still in there! You can't! You just can't!" Paul shrieked. _

_ " And I can't leave him in there either! I'll be back, don't worry. Erlof's probably passed out by now. Go!" he roared the last word, making sure his command was followed and the kid dashed away. _

_ Callen turned and vomited. And threw up again. _

_ Wiping his mouth with his arm, Callen snuck back inside the house, shutting down his brain for later. _

_ Indeed, the monster, because that is what he had become, had passed out on the couch. _

_ Suppressing his rage only because of the knowledge of the task that lay before him, G heaved his foster brother onto his back and together, they left the hell for the final time. _

G buried Jason alone, in the field beyond Jay Park. He spent hours digging a hole big enough, and hours carving Jason's name into a rock, that thirty years later, Sam would almost trip over while chasing another child living a nightmare. Paul did come out to say good-bye but not until the next day. Jason died a man because he wasn't a boy; he had grown up long before he even entered Erlof's hell, or G's life. Foster care, his protectiveness, his life, who he was, heart and soul, it all made Jason a better man than most.

Math time! 10 reviews= Update Wednesday or before…

Hey, I'm thinking 2 chapters until the end but if any of you want this to continue longer or have an idea for an ending or have a suggestion or criticism, let me know!

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